After being vacant for more than five years, the former Aldi’s grocery store at 1150 N. Fifth St. in Springfield is now undergoing renovations in preparation for a new occupant.

While the property is part of the Near North Crossing shopping center, located at Fifth Street and North Grand Avenue, the former Aldi’s space has different ownership than the rest of the center, which is owned by James Zerkle, who serves as the City of Springfield’s corporation counsel. According to Sangamon County Circuit Clerk records, the Aldi’s property was sold on June 9 for $587,500 to an investor from Florida.

The website for CSL Plasma now lists a Springfield location matching that address, along with existing locations in Champaign, Decatur, Peoria and Normal. A building permit has been filed with the City of Springfield for a $1.4 million remodel. Mattcon General Contractors and Novus Architects are overseeing the project.

CSL Plasma is one of the world’s largest plasma companies, with more than 270 collection centers throughout the United States, Europe and China. The company, headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, is a division of CSL Behring, a global biotech company headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

Less than a mile away, another plasma collection center is in the works at 534 North Grand Ave. Earlier this year, Stough Development Corporation announced plans to construct a 11,900-square-foot building in the Mid-Illinois Medical District. The company has built plasma centers in 17 states and is currently building new centers in Champaign and Joliet, in addition to Springfield.